Node Connect

Goal: find the one real route from node -> gateway, verify OpenClaw is advertising that route, then fix pairing/auth.

Topology first

Decide which case you are in before proposing fixes:

• same machine / emulator / USB tunnel
• same LAN / local Wi-Fi
• same Tailscale tailnet
• public URL / reverse proxy

Do not mix them.

• Local Wi-Fi problem: do not switch to Tailscale unless remote access is actually needed.
• VPS / remote gateway problem: do not keep debugging localhost or LAN IPs.

If ambiguous, ask first

If the setup is unclear or the failure report is vague, ask short clarifying questions before diagnosing.

Ask for:

• which route they intend: same machine, same LAN, Tailscale tailnet, or public URL
• whether they used QR/setup code or manual host/port
• the exact app text/status/error, quoted exactly if possible
• whether openclaw devices list shows a pending pairing request

Do not guess from can't connect.

Canonical checks

Prefer openclaw qr --json. It uses the same setup-code payload Android scans.

openclaw config get gateway.mode
openclaw config get gateway.bind
openclaw config get gateway.tailscale.mode
openclaw config get gateway.remote.url
openclaw config get gateway.auth.mode
openclaw config get gateway.auth.allowTailscale
openclaw config get plugins.entries.device-pair.config.publicUrl
openclaw qr --json
openclaw devices list
openclaw nodes status

If this OpenClaw instance is pointed at a remote gateway, also run:

openclaw qr --remote --json

If Tailscale is part of the story:

tailscale status --json

Read the result, not guesses

openclaw qr --json success means:

• gatewayUrl: this is the actual endpoint the app should use.
• urlSource: this tells you which config path won.

Common good sources: